Inflatable barrier

ABSTRACT

An inflatable barrier with an integral, triple chamber construction. An upper air chamber of relatively greater volume may be configured in any convenient shape such as pyramids, cylinders, cubes and barricades as suitable for use at combat sports venues. A centrally disposed, water-filled chamber provides sufficient weight to resist displacement of the barrier to normal impacts. A peripheral lower air chamber surrounds the water-filled chamber to stabilize lateral support and to maintain an upright orientation of the barrier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

There are no related applications.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The inventions described and claimed in this application were not madeunder federally sponsored research and development.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a portable barrier as used in combat sportsgames. More specifically, this invention relates to a freestandinginflatable barrier.

The sport of paintball is one of the fastest growing sports amongteenagers and young adults. It is a combat type game in which playerssuitably attired in padded clothing and face shields shoot paint filledballs at each other through compressed air guns. On impact, thepaintball typically breaks open to leave a splotch of water soluble,colored liquid. During game play, paintball field operators typicallyhave a variety of barriers or obstacles behind which competitors mayhide while shooting at members of an opposing team. Barriers can includesolid structures such as wooden panels, large drums, culvert pipes,discarded tires and the like.

In order to have more portable barriers for setting up a playing field,inflatable barriers have been developed in different shapes and sizes.The shapes include pyramids, cubes, and both vertical and horizontalcylinders. Once inflated, the barriers must be tied or staked to theground. Although a player can impact the inflated barrier itself withoutharm, the stakes and ropes associated with these inflatables can be acause of injury as players run from one barrier or obstacle to the next.

Therefore, a need exists in the sports industry to provide a safe,portable and inflatable barrier which is freestanding without the aid oftiedown ropes or ground stakes. The primary objective of this inventionis to meet this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide aninflatable barrier which is compact in storage and easily transportable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier which, wheninflated, is freestanding and resists displacement during normal impactsfrom combat sports players.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier of the characterdescribed which can be fabricated in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a barrier of thecharacter described which can be filled with readily available resourcesfor prompt assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a barrier of thecharacter described which can be weighted with water and still resistdisplacement during normal impacts from combat sports players.

In summary, an inflatable barrier with an integral, triple chamberconstruction. An upper air chamber of relatively greater volume may beconfigured in any convenient shape such as pyramids, cylinders, cubesand barricades as suitable for use at combat sports venues. A centrallydisposed, water-filled chamber provides sufficient weight to resistdisplacement of the barrier to normal impacts. A peripheral lower airchamber surrounds the water-filled chamber to stabilize lateral supportand to maintain an upright orientation of the barrier.

Other and further objects of the invention, together with the featuresof novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of thedetailed description of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description of the drawings, in which like referencenumerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a barrier constructed in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in thedirection of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the resistance of thebarrier to impacts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, it should be understoodthat the barrier of this invention is fabricated of durable, water andair impermeable fabric material for containing a volume of air or wateras appropriate. The barrier is constructed of at least three separatechambers 10, 12 & 14 and are integrally joined. An upper air chamber 10is joined to a lower air stabilizer tube 12 which surrounds a centralwater bladder 14.

Exteriorly, the upper air chamber 10 is fitted with a fill valve 16 forintroducing air to inflate the chamber 10 and is equipped with acarrying handle 18. Likewise, stabilizer tube 12 is fitted with a fillvalve 20 and the water bladder 14 is fitted with a fill valve 22 asshown in FIG. 3.

The upper air chamber 10 occupies the largest volume of the threechambers 10, 12 & 14 and may be configured in virtually any convenientform such as a pyramid, cube, cylinder, cone, or some amorphousstructure. This main chamber 10 may also be formed with internal supportbaffles or by joining two or more subchambers.

The ground supporting base for the upper air chamber 10 is formed by thestabilizer tube 12 and the water bladder 14 in combination. The waterbladder 14 must be of sufficient capacity or volume, based on waterweighing approximately 8 pounds per gallon, so as to hold the barrier inplace and to resist displacement on the ground 24 once the barrier isfully inflated. It is also important that the water bladder 14 becentrally positioned beneath the centroid of the upper chamber 10. Theshape of the water bladder 14 may be constructed as appropriate for theparticular shape of the upper chamber 10. In the drawings, the shape ofthe upper chamber 10 is an elongate horizontal dome and thecorresponding water bladder 14 is generally rectangular in shape tocorrespond proportionally with the length and width of the domed upperchamber 10. In the event a pyramidal form is selected for the upperchamber 10, then a triangularly shaped water bladder 14 might be mostappropriate. If, on the other hand, a vertically cylindrical form isselected for the upper chamber 10, then a circularly shaped waterbladder 14 would be a logical choice.

A barrier constructed of a single air chamber with only a water bladderfor weight does not provide sufficient resistance to displacement duringcombat sports play. With such a structure the barrier is frequentlydistorted in shape and the water alone does not provide sufficientresponse to return the barrier upright and in its intended shape afteran impact.

We have discovered that by placing an integrally formed air tube 12around the periphery of the water bladder 14 significantly stabilizesthe structure and improves the barrier's ability to return to itsoriginal, intended shape and upright orientation after normal impact.The shape of the stabilizer tube 12 is therefore determined by the shapeselected for the water bladder 14. If the water bladder 14 is circularin form, then the stabilizer tube 12 would be formed in a toroid ordoughnut shape. Where the shape of the water bladder 14 is substantiallyrectangular as illustrated in the drawings, then the stabilizer tube 12is likewise generally rectangular in form in order to surround the waterbladder at the outer periphery thereof.

The air tube 12 must be of sufficient capacity or volume as compared tothe volume of the water bladder 14 in order to achieve a stabilizingeffect. Generally, the volume of the air tube 12 should be in the rangeof 80 to 130% of the volume of the water bladder 14. In the case of avertically cylindrical bag, for example, where the upper air chamber 10is approximately 4 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, a circular bladder14 of sufficient capacity to contain about 10 pounds of water can beeffectively stabilized by a toroid shaped tube 12 having a volume ofapproximately 90% of the volume of the water bladder 14.

In operation, and assuming the barrier is in its collapsed condition forthe purposes of storage and transport, it is probably easiest to firstfill the stabilizer tube 12 which frames the water bladder 14. This canbe accomplished with the aid of an air source such as the discharge froma household vacuum cleaner or from an air compressor connected to thefill valve 20. Then the water bladder 14 may be filled with a hose orfaucet introducing water through the fill valve 22. Lastly, the upperair chamber 10 may be filled with air through the fill valve 16.

The barrier so erected will remain in its intended shape and positionafter experiencing normal impacts as is common in combat field play. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the stabilizer tube 12 acts to contain the waterbladder 14 and to influence the barrier to return to an upright positionon the ground 24 after side impact, for example, as shown by the arrows.

Importantly, the barrier constructed in accordance with this inventionprovides a barrier or obstacle that is completely freestanding and doesnot require injurious ropes or ground stakes for its intended use. Thisresults in safer conditions for players of combat field sports such aspaintball.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. An inflatable barrier comprising: a first chamber generally fordefining the overall shape and size of the barrier; a ground engagingsecond chamber centrally positioned beneath and connected to said firstchamber; and a ground engaging third chamber peripherally surroundingsaid second chamber and being integrally connected to said first andsecond chambers; whereby said first chamber may be fully inflated withair to establish the overall shape and size of the barrier, said secondchamber may be filled with a weighting fluid of sufficient mass to holdsaid first chamber at a preselected ground location, and said thirdchamber may be fully inflated with air to stabilize the barrier fromside impacts.
 2. The barrier as in claim 1, said first, second and thirdchambers being integrally fabricated of durable, water and airimpermeable fabric.
 3. The barrier as in claim 1, the shape of saidfirst chamber being selected from the group consisting of pyramids,cones, cubes, cylinders, rectangular blocks, domes, hemispheres, andregular and irregular volumetric forms.
 4. The barrier as in claim 1,the shape of said second chamber in top plan view being scaled down fromthe top plan view of said first chamber such that the out periphery ofsaid second chamber is spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of saidfirst chamber.
 5. The barrier as in claim 1, said second chambercomprising a water bladder disposed beneath the centroid of said firstchamber.
 6. The barrier as in claim 1, the shape of said second chamberbeing selected from the group consisting of volumetric triangles,rectangles, squares and circles.
 7. The barrier as in claim 1, saidthird chamber shaped to correspond to the outer periphery of said firstchamber.
 8. The barrier as in claim 1, said third chamber beinggenerally tubular in form and shaped as to frame the periphery of saidsecond chamber.
 9. The barrier as in claim 1, wherein the volume of saidthird chamber falls in the range or 80 to 130% of the volume of saidsecond chamber.
 10. The barrier as in claim 1, further including first,second and third fill valve corresponding respectively to said first,second and third chambers whereby said first and third chambers may beinflated with air and said second chamber may be filled with water.